November 5, 2018
Iraqi Forces Found a Daesh Hideout on Makhoul Mountain (DD Nov 3)
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS
Iraq
CoR members target for removal four ministers they already approved. [..]
New US-Iraq military plan targets Daesh tunnels& other hideouts in four provinces. [..]
Daesh attacks spike in Baghdad after PM praises drop in violence. [..]
Coalition kills 25 Daesh members & a huge tunnel NW of Kirkuk. [..]
CTS arrests 26 members of the major Daesh terrorism cell in Kirkuk. [..]
Daesh says it killed another mukhtar, in Hawija, and wounded another. [..]
Many Mosul Daesh members fled to Hatra desert, now operate from tunnels. [..]
Babel Governor sees “terrorist motives” behind epidemic of dead fish. [..]
Turkey
Turkey alleges Saudis sent “clean-up team” to Istanbul to erase evidence in Khashoggi case. [..]
740 “terrorism” arrestees are mostly alleged supporters of Gulen movement. [..]
Syria
Syria sets stiff conditions for accepting new UN Special Envoy to Syria. [..]
State Department itemizes Iran’s financial contributions to Syria, Iraqi PMFs, Houthis, Hamas. [..]
France reportedly arrests 3 top Syrian intel officers for war crimes. [..]
US troops patrol Ras Al-Ayn on Turkish border. [..]
Daesh claims to have killed 50 SDF soldiers in Raqqa IED blast. [..]
Coalition planes targeting Daesh leaders in Albu Kamal. [..]
Other countries
Iran: US exempts 8 countries from sanctions on Iran oil exports, but also targets Iran’s banking, transportation sectors. [..]
Yemen: UN details disastrous conditions for Yemeni civilians, especially in Hodeida. [..]
REPORTS FROM IRAQ
NATIONAL NEWS
New government
President Barham Salih announced the appointment of retired career diplomat Luqman Faili, former Ambassador to the US (2013-16), as the official spokesman of the Presidency. [Sumaria]
Council of Representatives
The CoR will likely withdraw confidence from 4 ministers of Adel Abd Ul-Mahdi’s cabinet who had been previously approved, due to the emergence of incriminating evidence from investigations into their pasts. 2 were from a Shia bloc within in Al-Fatah, the 2 others from Sunni parties. Reportedly, the investigations raised suspicions against the “integrity” of the Minister of Transportation Abdullah Loibi, and said that Minister of Communication Na’im Al-Rubi’i may have been involved in de-Baathification. Suspicions of corruption were raised against Minister of Trade Mohammad Hashim Al-‘Ani, and Minister of Youth and Sports Ahmed Al-Obeidi was accused of “terrorism.” [Baghdadia]
DaeshDaily comment. It would not be at all surprising if there were political motives behind the accusations. This story may not sort itself out quickly.
Foreign policy
Rudaw reported that the special US representative for Iran, Brian Hook, said that Washington would exempt Iraq from the sanctions it had imposed on Iran. Hook said that Iraq would open an oil pipeline from Kirkuk to Iran to compensate for the lack of Iranian oil in its markets. [Rudaw]
See story below under Neighboring Countries, Iran
On Monday, in a meeting with the Secretary-General of the UN, the Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Ali Al-Hakim called on the world to invest in Iraq. [Rudaw]
Former Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlaq revealed on Sunday that an Iranian political figure threatened him after an Iraqi demonstration against the Iranian intervention in Fakka oilfield on the Iran-Iraq border. He said that the Iranian politician told him that Iran “accepts your choice between a political or physical liquidation; and there are witnesses to this statement.” Later, in another meeting at the house of Ayad Allawi in 2010, the same politician told Al-Mutlaq “you gave us demonstrations and now you want us to prevent your liquidation?” Al-Mutlaq explained that the threat occurred with the rescinding of some of the laws of “de-Baathification” in 2010. [Arabi21]
Anti-Daesh campaign
A security source revealed a US-Iraqi plan to eliminate all underground Daesh hideouts in southwest Kirkuk, Ninewa, Salahuddin, including Tooz. These include caves, tunnels, and other facilities used by Daesh to hide and store weapons. [Sumaria]
A security source reported that there was a “complete plan” to eradicate all underground Daesh facilities with the support of the International Coalition. The source said it was expected that there were about 200 Daesh hideouts underground in the areas of Kirkuk, Ninewa, Salahuddin, and Tooz. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. Presumably, the key is the joint nature of the plan. Iraqi troops continue to identify an amazing number of Daesh underground tunnels and other sites. Letting the Coalition blast these away with pinpoint bombing would take less time than destroying them from the ground and would reduce the risk to ground troops.
Hashim Al-Musawi, a PMF commander, informed the Iraqi media outlet Maalomah on Monday that PMFs are ready to launch operations against Daesh in Syria. He said such operations are subject to orders of Prime Minister Adel Abd Ul-Mahdi , as the Commander in Chief of the armed forces. On Sunday, the PMF launched several missiles and rockets against Daesh in Al-Baghouz. [Eldorar]
Prime Minister Adel Abd Ul-Mahdi visited the Baghdad Operations Command headquarters, and said it played a great role in reducing terror attacks in the capital. The operations room briefed Abd Ul-Mahdi on its security and humanitarian operations. [Sumaria]
DaeshDaily comment. We noted last week in the context of UNAMI’s monthly violence statistics that Baghdad violence is down, so the credit to the BOC seems well placed. Part of the evidence is the reduced number of violent-incident stories we carry under Baghdad. However, this good trend was interrupted by incidents this past weekend. (See below)
BAGHDAD
UNAMI denounced the explosions which occurred in various locations in Baghdad. [PUKMedia]
Northwest (Kadhimiya, etc.)
An IED in Aden Square in Kadhimiya killed two civilians and wounded four others. [Basnews]
Daesh said on Sunday it killed or wounded 10 Shia and damaged several vehicles with an IED set off in a bus station in Kadhimiya. [A3maq]
Daesh said on Sunday it killed or wounded 14 Shia with an IED in the Shula area. [A3maq]
Northeast (Adhamiya, etc.)
The Ministry of Defense stated that Iraqi security forces found a large pile of explosives and equipment on Monday. [Rudaw]
East (Sadr City, New Baghdad, etc.)
An IED exploded in Habibiya, next to Sadr City, wounding two women and one man. [Basnews]
Daesh said on Sunday it killed or wounded nine Shia and destroyed a bus with an IED in the Habibiya area. [A3maq]
Daesh said it killed or wounded 17 Shia with an IED in the Sadr City area on Sunday. [ICDNNov5]
A security source said that a civilian was injured in an armed attack by unknown people on Monday evening. [Sumaria]
Southwest (Rasheed, etc.)
Daesh said on Sunday it killed or wounded eight Shia with an IED in the Al-Turath neighborhood. [A3maq]
Total Baghdad security incidents reported: 6 (Includes only incidents reported)
Total IED security incidents reported: 4
ANBAR
Falluja
The Director for Internal Affairs and Security in Anbar announced on Monday that 2 people wanted on terrorism charges were arrested in Habbaniya. [BaghdadToday]
Hit/Haditha
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that PMF units killed 5 Daesh terrorists, all foreigners, somewhere in the desert between Haditha and Baiji.
Daesh said on Sunday its snipers killed an Iraqi soldier in Al-Khaldiya village, west of Hit. [ICDNNov4]
SALAHUDDIN
Shirqat
A DaeshDaily source said on Friday that Coalition planes killed 5 Daesh terrorists in an airstrike near the Tilul Al-Baj area on the western edge of Shirqat.
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that two civilians were killed and six others wounded, including a Shirqat District Council member, when a parked vehicle bomb exploded in a market in Shirqat.
Baiji
A DaeshDaily source said on Saturday that Iraqi Army and PMF units found a Daesh explosives hideout and a vehicle bomb factory in the Makhoul Mountains area. The source sent us photos of the hideout.
Daesh said it killed or wounded PMF members and destroyed their vehicle with an IED in the Al-Asmeda area, north of Baiji, on Friday. [ICDNNov4]
Daesh said it severely wounded an Iraqi Army colonel and his son, a 1st lieutenant, with a stick IED in the Al-Asri neighborhood in Baiji city, on Saturday. [ICDNNov5]
In a separate report, Daesh said it killed or wounded PMFs after targeting their vehicle with an IED in the Al-Asri neighborhood, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that two new PMF members were killed when an IED exploded on their vehicle near the desert village of Thirthar, west of Baiji city.
Daesh said it shot and killed PMF members, including a battalion commander, and wounded others west of Baiji, on Friday. [A3maq]
Tikrit
Daesh said it severely wounded the mukhtar of Al-Karafat village (spelling approx.) and his bodyguards, in Jazeera Tikrit, and destroyed his vehicle with an IED, on Friday. [A3maq]
Samarra
A Diwaniya emergency battalion operating in Samarra found an ammunition cache including 25 IEDs and artillery projectiles in Samarra. [MoD Website]
Daesh said its snipers killed 2 Saraya Al-Salam PMFs in the Albu Jarub area, in Jazeera Samarra, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
Eastern Salahuddin (Al-Daur, Tooz)
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that several people were killed or wounded when a Badr PMF weapons storehouse exploded in a residential area in Tooz.
DIYALA
Baquba/Southeast Diyala
Daesh said it shot and damaged an Iraqi Army Humvee in an ambush near Taha Al-Rashid village, south of Buhriz, on Saturday. [A3maq]
Central Diyala (Muqdadiya/Abu Saida)
Daesh said it killed one PMF member and wounded four others in an attack in Al-Hadd Al-Akhdar village, in Muqdadiya near the Al-Waqf area, on Sunday. [A3maq]
Daesh said on Sunday it wounded three Shia people with an IED in Al-Risala village, east of Muqdadiya. [ICDNNov4]
Northern Diyala (Kifri, Khanaqin, Khalis north)
Udhaim
A DaeshDaily source said on Saturday that 2 Badr PMF members were killed and another severely wounded in an attack on a military position near Udhaim.
Daesh said on Saturday it wounded two tribal PMF members and damaged their vehicle with an IED in Shadhif village, in Udhaim subdistrict. [ICDNNov3]
Daesh said its snipers wounded an Iraqi soldier in the tiny village of Albu Mar’i, in Udhaim, on Friday. [A3maq]
Daesh said on Saturday it killed an Iraqi soldier, wounded others, and destroyed their Humvee with an IED near Udhaim. [A3maq]
Kifri
Daesh said its snipers wounded an Iraqi soldier near Qara Tapa on Thursday. [A3maq]
Khanaqin
Daesh said it wounded three IFP members, including an officer, after targeting their military position in Mahmoud Aziz village, west of Khanaqin, with “all kinds of weapons,” on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
KIRKUK
Kirkuk/Dibis
Kirkuk
Commander of the 2nd CTS division in Kirkuk, Maan Al-Saadi, says Coalition planes attacked two Daesh positions northwest of Kirkuk, killing 25 Daesh fighters and destroying a 500-meter tunnel. [BasNews]
Al-Saadi also reported that a Daesh cell of 26 persons including women was arrested in Kirkuk. The group was armed with explosive belts, IEDs, and silenced guns as well as 2 vehicle bombs. The commander reported that this cell is responsible for all recent terror operations in the city. [Baghdadia] [IraqPress]
The IFP command reported that IFP troops arrested 1 Daesh female operative in Kirkuk who was responsible for providing medical assistance, and who is wanted by a court on terrorism charges. [Sumaria]
Dibis
Daesh said it captured, then killed a Peshmerga soldier after raiding his house in Taqtaq village in Dibis, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
Daesh also said it killed or wounded PMF members and destroyed their vehicle with an IED in the same village, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
Hawija (Riyadh, Al-Zab, etc.)
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that IFP units captured 11 Daesh terrorists, including commanders, and confiscated large quantities of weapons and explosives in a tunnel in the Riyadh area.
Daesh said it targeted a tribal PMF position in Dhamaka village, in Riyadh subdistrict, with mortars, on Sunday. [ICDNNov5]
Daesh said it shot and killed the mukhtar of Mahmudiya village, east of Hawija, on Friday. [A3maq]
Daesh said it wounded a PMF member and damaged his vehicle with an IED near Marata village, northeast of Hawija, on Saturday. [A3maq]
The IFP arrested 2 Daesh members in Hawija on Monday. [Forat]
Daesh said it killed an IFP member and wounded another after targeting their position near the mill in Hawija city, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
Daesh said it set on fire the house of a tribal PMF “intelligence member” in Mustafiya village, near Hawija, on Friday. [ICDNNov3]
Daesh said it destroyed it killed or wounded IFP members and destroyed their vehicle with an IED on the road between Riyadh and Kirkuk, on Friday. [ICDNNov3]
Southwest (Daquq, Rashad, Taza, etc.)
A DaeshDaily source said on Saturday that IFP units killed 3 Daesh terrorists in an ambush in the desert near Rashad. The source said all terrorists were from the Hawija area.
Daesh said it severely wounded a tribal PMF member and destroyed his vehicle with an IED in Ali Saray village in Riyadh subdistrict, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
DaeshDaily comment. The village is actually in Daquq. Daesh keeps attacking this same Kaka’i village.
The Center for Security Information announced on Monday that IFP detachments arrested 1 wanted female Daesh member as they searched numerous villages including Sabounchiya. [Sumaria]
NINEWA
Mosul city
The Interior Ministry reported that the 12th emergency police battalion arrested 9 Daesh operatives in Zahra, Khadra, and Diwanem neighborhoods in west Mosul. 2 of them had been in the hisbah (morality police) office while others were fighters. [Sumaria]
A security source in Ninewa police reported on Monday that 2 lawyers were arrested in the Ninewa Court of Appeals on charges of involvement with Daesh in 2014. [BasNews]
Mosul District
West (Hamidat/Muhalabiya)
Daesh said it killed one person, wounded two others, and damaged a vehicle with 2 IEDs at the Kafraj security barrier, near Badoush, on Sunday. [ICDNNov5]
Western Ninewa
Tal Afar
On Monday the PMF blew up 4 Daesh tunnels in Ayadhiya that had been used by the Ninewa division of Daesh to attack civilians and security personnel. [PressIraq]
Southern Ninewa
Hatra
A DaeshDaily source said on Friday that many Daesh terrorists who fled Iraqi forces military operations south of Mosul have fled to the Al-Sakhri Valley area. The source said Daesh had dug tunnels in the area since 2014, and the terrorists are using these tunnels as hideouts.
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that four Iraqi Army 20th division soldiers were killed in a Daesh attack near Khunaifis village. The source said the terrorists attacked the units after emerging from underground tunnels. The source said Iraqi forces were conducting the military operations that started last week to clear the Ninewa desert.
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that four PMF members were killed when a suicide terrorist set off his explosives vest near Al-Barit village. The source said the terrorist was wearing an Iraqi military uniform.
A DaeshDaily source said on Saturday that Coalition planes destroyed a Daesh vehicle south of Hatra, killing 4 terrorists inside.
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that a PMF commander was killed and other fighters wounded in a Daesh mortar shelling in the desert near Hatra city.
Baaj
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that Iraqi Army and PMF units cleared 13 km of the desert near Baaj. The source said the units killed 4 Daesh terrorists and captured 2 others, both from Arab countries. The units also found Daesh tunnels and weapons caches during the operations.
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that Border Guard units stopped a Daesh attack near the Syrian border in the Baaj area, killing 3 terrorists and capturing 2 others.
SOUTHERN IRAQ
Babel
On Monday, the Governor of Babel addressed a letter to the Prime Minister suggesting that it was likely there were “terrorist motives” behind the deaths of fish in numerous cities and regions of the area, which have greatly harmed farmers. He appealed to the PM to compensate the farmers for the damage. [BasNews]
KURDISTAN NEWS
SULEIMANIYA
Kurdistan Region on Monday suspended the import and export of oil derivatives to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran, hours after the US oil sanctions on Tehran went into effect. The Director of Information and Relations at the Parvez Khan border Crossing said that the sanctions did not affect the import and export of foodstuff and other products. [Basnews]
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READER COMMENTS
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REPORTS FROM TURKEY
Political developments
An official informed Turkey’s pro-government Sabah newspaper that about a week after the murder of Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia sent a 2-man “clean-up team,” consisting of a chemist and toxicologist, to erase evidence prior to granting access to Turkish investigators. The paper identified the men as Ahmed Abdulaziz Al-Jonabi and Khaled Yahya Al-Zahrani. [Yahoo] [Yahoo]
Military & security developments
Turkey’s Interior Ministry reported that it killed 45 PKK “terrorists” in the past 7 days. It also arrested 740 persons for joining or cooperating with terrorist organizations, 505 to the Fethullah Gulen group 189 of which were related to PKK, 30 to Daesh, 16 to leftist movements. [Anadolu]
DaeshDaily comment. The comparative numbers of arrests suggests the real priorities of Erdogan’s “anti-terrorism” campaign. First, target your political opponents.
Turkish authorities arrested 24 people in 11 provinces in Turkey based on suspicion that they belong to Daesh and were sending money to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Indonesia, and Libya. [Anadolu] We don’t know whether this overlaps with the 30 arrestees in the previous report.
REPORTS FROM SYRIA
NATIONAL NEWS
United Nations
According to Qasioun, the Syrian Foreign Minister stipulated the conditions for cooperating with the new UN Envoy to Syria, Geir Pederson, “He must stay away from methods of his predecessors. He must declare his allegiance to the unity of Syrian territory and Syrian people. He must not side with terrorists as his predecessor did. He must be committed to the exemplary example and values of the UN Charter to free the people in the context of the fight against terrorism and terrorists.” [Qasioun]
DaeshDaily comment. Given that choice, the UN should declare Syria’s conditions unacceptable (not to mention arrogant) and work without its cooperation if necessary.
On Sunday, the Combined Joint Task Force official site reported that Maghawir al-Thawra, a partner of CJTF-Operation Inherent Resolve, secured the delivery of “thousands of tons” of UN humanitarian aid to Al-Rukban Camp on the Jordan-Syria border. Maj. Gen. (UK) Christopher Ghika, CJTF-OIR deputy commander said that the operations allowed about 55,000 people to receive “lifesaving aid.” He also thanked the Syrian Arab Red Crescent for their essential role in the delivery. [CJTF]
Foreign policy
Iran
The US State Department’s electronic outreach team reported that Iran assisted the Assad regime in Syria with over $16 billion since 2012. $6.4 billion was given to the regime, $700 million was allocated to pro-Iran militias in Syria, while similar militias in Iraq received $100 million. In addition, Iran gave hundreds of millions of dollars to the Houthis in Yemen and $100 million to Hamas and jihadists in Palestine. [EnabBaladi]
Israel
An Israeli Foreign Ministry official stated on Monday that any political solution to end the conflict in Syria would be not be “viable” without considering the interests of Israel. According to Hebrew and Russian media sources, he also said “Any solution in the region must take our interests into account.” [ElDorar]
France
Le Monde reported that the French judiciary issued arrest warrants against 3 top Syrian intelligence officers on charges of committing war crimes, including Ali Mamluk, the head of Syrian National Security Bureau. [Qasioun]
Anti-Daesh campaign
On Sunday, a Daesh-affiliated paper reported that in Hajin in Albu Kamal, Daesh killed 12 SDF fighters, and injured over 20 others. A3maq also reported that Daesh killed 1 SDF member and injured 2 others in an ambush between Dhiban and Omar oilfield. Daesh also claimed to have killed 1 SDF fighter in Al-Shuhail.
On Saturday, Daesh claimed a car bomb attack in Raqqa killed over 50 SDF fighters who were collecting their salary payments near the Modern Medicine hospital. However, the official media of the SDF reported only that a car bomb attack on Al-Basil Street killed 1 civilian and wounded several others. [EnabBaladi]
See related report under Raqqa below
Northeast
Hasaka
On Sunday, US troops patrolled the Kurdish-held town of Darbasiya in Ras Al-Ayn District, along the Syrian-Turkish border, in cooperation with SDF troops. Coalition spokesman Sean Ryan said Sunday’s patrol was the second in a week, after an initial patrol by US forces on Friday. [Yahoo]
Raqqa
Raqqa city & district
Daesh said on Sunday it killed or wounded 50 SDF members after setting off a parked vehicle bomb near Modern Medicine Hospital on Al-Nour Street, in Raqqa city. Daesh claimed the SDF members were gathering to receive their salaries. [ICDNNov4] However, the SDF acknowledged only an IED that killed 1 civilian. (See above story)
The SDF announced it found a weapon and ammunition cache hidden in Raqqa. It also found RPG rockets, rifles, hand grenades, cannons, and machine guns in the cache. [Hawar]
Daesh said on Monday it shot and killed an SDF member on a street in Raqqa city. [A3maq]
Central and West (no reports)
East (Deir Ez-Zor)
Deir Ez-Zor District
Daesh said it shot and killed an SDF “intelligence member” in Al-Kassar village, in Busayrah subdistrict, on Thursday. [A3maq]
Daesh said it killed four SDF members and wounded seven others after setting off an IED on their truck in Al-Hilwa village, in Busayrah, on Thursday. [A3maq]
Daesh said it shot and killed an SDF member with machine guns in Bariha village, in Busayrah, on Sunday. [A3maq]
Daesh said on Monday it wounded an SDF member in an attack on the SDF headquarters in Bariha village. [A3maq]
Daesh said it shot and killed an SDF member in Al-Shuhail town, next to the Al-Omar oilfield, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
DaeshDaily comment. As we have noted previously, one needs to consider the likelihood of exaggeration in the spate of Daesh “victory” stories from Deir Ez-Zor.
Mayadin District
Daesh said it shot and killed an SDF member, wounded another, and damaged their vehicle on the road to the Al-Omar Oilfield, on Friday. [ICDNNov4]
Daesh said it killed three SDF members, including a commander, and wounded two others after targeting their vehicle with machine guns in Tayyana village, in Dhiban subdistrict, on Friday. [ICDNNov3]
Albu Kamal District
According to supposedly reliable “local sources” on Monday Daesh released 7 US soldiers, under an exchange deal with the YPG. The sources explained that Daesh captured most of the soldiers in Hajin. [Anadolu]
DaeshDaily comment. We note the absence of any confirming story or a prior story about US soldiers captured. You know how we feel about the reliability of “local sources.”
“Local media sources” said Daesh killed 12 SDF soldiers in an attack on their positions in Al-Bahra, near Hajin. 20 others were wounded while several Daesh attackers were also killed. [Qasioun]
Daesh said on Sunday it wounded SDF members in an attack on their position northeast of Al-Bahra town. [ICDNNov4]
Daesh said on Saturday it wounded SDF members after targeting their positions in the train station area, northeast of Hajin, with 6 mortar shells and 2 Katyushas. [ICDNNov3]
A DaeshDaily source said on Friday that Coalition planes killed several Daesh terrorists, including an Iraqi commander, in an airstrike on the Hawi Al-Susah area.
A DaeshDaily source said on Sunday that a senior Daesh Saudi commander and a Moroccan terrorist were killed in a Coalition airstrike near Al-Susah.
A DaeshDaily source said on Saturday that Daesh leaders in the Albu Kamal area are on constant move. The source said that the terrorists don’t stay in the same location for more than a couple of hours.
Daesh said on Saturday that Coalition planes targeted Hajin, Al-Kashma, and Al-Sha’afa with more than 15 airstrikes. [A3maq]
Daesh said on Saturday that at least 14 people, including women and children, were killed by Coalition airstrikes on Hajin, Al-Susah, and Al-Kashma. [A3maq]
DaeshDaily comment. As usual in Daesh propaganda, US and Coalition airstrikes kill only civilians and never kill Daesh members.
SOHR reported that the Coalition shelled Daesh-held Hajin with over 50 shells that were most likely white phosphorous shells. [SyriaHR]
Daesh said on Sunday that the Coalition targeted Hajin with more than 10 artillery shells carrying white phosphorous. [A3maq]
South
Suwayda
A Daesh source reported that an officer with the Syrian Army was also killed on Sunday when Syrian troops attempted to advance on Tilul Al-Safa. [Qasioun]
Daesh said it killed at least 10 government soldiers in an attack in the Al-Safa Hills area, on Sunday. [A3maq]
Daesh said its snipers killed 2 Syrian soldiers in the Al-Safa Hills, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
Daesh said on Sunday it destroyed a Syrian Army tank and an armored vehicle with 2 rockets in the Al-Safa Hills area. [A3maq]
OTHER MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA REPORTS
Neighboring countries
Iran
The US State Department temporarily exempted 8 countries from sanctions imposed on Iran oil exports, including Turkey. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the aim of sanctions is to change the conduct of Iranian leaders. Countries excluded are Turkey, India, China, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Greece. [Anadolu]
The US announced what it described as “unprecedented sanctions” on Iran in oil, banking, and transportation sectors. It says it aims to press Iran to change its security policies. The sanctions will increasingly isolate 50 banks and over 200 persons and ships, as well as airliners. [Sumaria]
Saudi Arabia/Yemen
UNICEF announced that a Yemeni child dies every 10 minutes from treatable diseases. It says that 1.8 million are suffering famine, 40% of whom are in Hodeida. [Sumaria]
Daesh said it shot at an Al-Qaeda military position in Qifa, damaging an SUV, on Sunday. [ICDNNov5]
Daesh said it killed 2 Houthi fighters after shooting at their motorcycle in an ambush in Qifa, on Sunday. [ICDNNov5] [A3maq]
North Africa
Egypt
Daesh said on Monday it damaged a vehicle carrying Egyptian soldiers with an IED near the Al-Shalafa area, south of Rafah. [A3maq]
Daesh said on Monday it stopped an Egyptian Army campaign near the Al-Shalafa area. [A3maq]
It also said it damaged an Egyptian Army M60 tank with a heavy machine gun near the same area. [A3maq]
REPORTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
AFRICA
Nigeria
Daesh said it killed a Nigerian Army member, wounded another, and damaged their vehicle with an IED near Lake Chad, on Saturday. [ICDNNov4]
ASIA
Pakistan
Daesh said it shot and killed a pro-government militiaman in Peshawar, on Friday. [A3maq]
